A brief parting
by Thermonuclear fission
Summary: The continuation in the series following the story return of the madman. Enjoy!


Chapter 1

"Tell me, why are we at my old school? And why am I dressed as a janitor?" Ryan asked, tapping Caster on the shoulder, who was hunched down and walking very slowly through the darkened halls.

"Do we really have to do this now?" He muttered under his breath, though the school was silent enough that Ryan could hear him. "I already told you the reason: Camouflage.

"Sure, then why aren't you dressed as one?"

"Because I am already undercover, just to other people." Together, they walked down another dark hall and turned right, into a brighter one and found one janitor mopping the floors there. He didn't take notice of Ryan turning the corner, and certainly not Caster (for he had cloaked himself rather well.)

"You know that you can be in school after hours without being arrested, right?" Ryan whispered to her right, the direction in which she presumed Caster still was. For a minute, there was no response.

"Honestly, you could have told me sooner," a voice finally replied. Caster stood up taller, stretching out his arms and legs. "And I guess you're just itching to get that costume off, yes?"

"Yes," Ryan replied, taking off her hat and jacket. "Much better."

Just then, the janitor turned to look at them with startled eyes. Caster chuckled a bit to himself and raised his hand, showing no need for alarm.

"Don't mind us, good sir, we're just passing through."

"No one talks like that anymore!" Ryan whispered in his ears.

"I do," he replied. The janitor's eyes shifted from Ryan to Caster, then he went back to mopping.

"Right, tell me why we're here again?" Ryan asked as she was dragged by the wrist (again) down another darker hall.

"I already explained to you when we were at the front door! God, you humans and your puny memories. We're here because I need to remove any residue you may have left in this school. Those specters tracked you down with that in the first place."

"Residue?" Ryan asked, a bit surprised at the strange word choice. Caster merely nodded.

"The sooner we do this, the better. You are going to have a fresh start traveling with me, not a trace of your past can be on you and-"

"Wait," she ground to a halt, stopping Caster with her. "I never said I'd travel with you."

Ryan suddenly felt Caster's whole hand grow cold.

"Oh, right, my mistake. Old habits, you know," he forced a smile. Then they hurried on in silence, not a single word being exchanged.

It took 20 minutes before they reached the last classroom Ryan remembered having taken classes in. And it was without a doubt, the computer room.

"Here it is," she replied. "This is the last place, I believe."

"Marvelous!" Caster said, absolutely stunned. He rushed forward and looked in wonder at all the computers. "Look at all the technology crammed into this little space! Love it!" Then, he rushed from computer to computer, mashing the keyboards and tapping the screens, much like a little kid while Ryan could only laugh quietly to herself. Finally, Caster stopped and turned around.

"Shh," he commanded, and Ryan tried her best to be quiet. Slowly, she watched as Caster walked, slowly step by step toward the windows in the back of the room, his movement making absolutely no sound. Slowly, he tapped his fingers on the glass.

Suddenly, all the computers turned on.

"OUT! NOW!" Caster shouted from across the room at Ryan. But before she could react, the door had already closed and locked, trapping both of them.

"Well," Caster sighed, cracking his knuckles. "Hasn't this night taken a turn for the worse?"

"What is going on?" Ryan demanded, turning round and round in her place. "Is it those Terminus people again?"

"No," Caster whispered. "It couldn't be. The Terminus are old fashioned. Did you see the guns they used? Those were from the 1800's, when I was just a kid."

"Right, so we're going to be killed by computers?" Ryan questioned, tapping one of the computers.

"Not sure yet," Caster muttered, "but quite possibly."

Suddenly, all the computers turned off and the room was completely dark, not a single speck of light.

"Shadow mage," Caster called across the room in utter disbelief. Ryan, who was trying to find her way with no success, could only stand in place and pray.

"Caster?" She called. Suddenly, she felt a hand grab hers and pull her forward, and with a quick yelp, she felt Caster's hands close over her mouth.

"Very silent," he whispered in her ear. They stood like that for a moment. Then, a scratching followed by a hiss began to echo throughout the room.

"You are very clever, magi," a voice rattled through the room.

"Rander," Caster spoke with pure hatred. A shaky laugh echoed throughout the room.

"Yes, you remember me well. It's not every day that I get to burn down a boy's house and watch his parents burn, slowly and slowly and laugh as he cried, rolled into a small ball. Yes, crying tears of sorrow, sweet sweet sorrow."

The scratching then resonated from a different corner of the room.

"It has been quite a while, Caster. I remember when you were just a happy-go-lucky child. But now look at you."

"What do you want?" Caster demanded.

"My my, someone has certainly developed an attitude," the voice laughed. "And what would that be that you're holding? A human?"

"I remember tales of you, Rander," Caster suddenly spoke, changing the topic. "I remember that day that you killed my family, friends, and anyone I held dear. So why don't you take her then? Yes, take this human and leave me be."

Ryan suddenly felt herself flung forward, and no sooner had that happened than she could feel something cold close around her.

"Oh yes, what a beautiful girl. I'm certain she would make a lovely soup, maybe with a side of chicken. Yes, that would be a lovely meal."

"Now how does it feel to have everything taken from me?" Caster's voice asked, though Ryan could no longer discern the direction. It was absolute darkness.

"Quite well, magi. But I have business to attend to. The Terminus hired me for a reason, you know."

"Quite so. So why don't we negotiate?"

"Into the shadows, Caster. Into the shadows," Rander beckoned. Caster merely laughed.

"Oh, I don't think I'm that stupid." Suddenly, the whole border of the room erupted in an explosion of green fire, igniting the room and revealing the location of Rander, who stood nearly a foot away from Caster. Reacting to the light, Rander began hissing while Ryan, trapped in a prison of shadow, could see nothing.

"That's always been your problem, hasn't it, Rander? Shadow mages just can't take light," Caster laughed maniacally as he walked over to the suffering shadow mage. Each of his steps left an imprint of fire. Caster, in one swift motion, picked up Rander who continued to struggle.

"You can't take it because you are nothing without shadow. In the light we see who you really are," Caster growled, his eyes narrowed. "That just bugs you because you just can't stand the exposure."

"You demon!" Rander hissed, his voice fading away. Caster merely chuckled, his mousy hair beginning to catch fire as well, and his eyes glowing like embers.

"I'm the demon? Look at yourself, corrupted by vanity and greed and reduced to a flying cloak with a demented soul within it." Rander's hissing intensified.

"Go ahead magi," the shadow mage hissed, a pause in between every word. "Kill me and assume vengeance for your family. Caster shook his head, as if he was talking to a young child.

"Oh no, killing you would be far too easy. If I killed you, I would be a murderer, no matter how worthless you are. So I'm going to let you go. And I will hunt you down until I corner you. And then I'll kill you, because it will be a lot more fun for me that way." Releasing Rander, Caster watched as he faded away. Slowly, the fire died down and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"What was that?" Ryan asked as Caster cracked open the shadow shell to let her out. "And why do you smell like burnt stuff?"

"My my, you do ask a lot of questions," Caster chuckled. Helping her out, he pulled her upright.

"Now what?" She asked. Caster looked around thoughtfully.

"I don't know, really." Caster replied, looking around the computer room. "Anything you have in mind?"

"Not really."

"Right. Well, _Auf Weirdesehen_ then Ryan. Until we see again." Caster was just about to walk out the door when Ryan caught him by the shirt collar.

"I said I wouldn't travel with you," she began, "but I could give it a second thought if you convinced me." A small smile crossed Caster's face, and it seemed as though he would do something.

"Nope, not worth it. Goodbye," he said with a small laugh and walked out the door into the hallway beyond. Shocked, Ryan hurried behind him.

"Well why not? Not worth a shot?"

"If you had any doubts in the beginning, it would probably mean you don't really want to come along with me," Caster replied. "So I'll drop you off at a relative's place and be on my way. Tell me, how do you feel about staying at an aunt's or uncle's?"

"I'd hate it," she replied plainly. "I hate all my family." Caster eyes her curiously.

"You never knew what you had until it's gone, little girl. Be grateful that you're not like me."

"Look, at least prove to me that you can do what you said you can do. Show me something that you can do, other than the fire and demon stuff and etc."

"Where do you want to go?" Caster asked suddenly, glancing at his wristwatch.

"Paris France," she said casually, confident that none of this was going to happen.

"Certainly." Ryan felt Caster grab her hand again and instantly, the world around them melted, and they were floating along. No sooner had this started then Ryan could feel her feet slam into solid ground, sending tremors through her whole body.

"Look," Caster gestured proudly. "Paris France like you requested." Ryan opened her eyes and let out a gasp.

She was on top of the Eifel Tower, and Paris was spread out in front of her like a beautiful piece of art.

"Amazing," she muttered. "But how did we get here?"

"Magic," Caster laughed. "Now where?"

"I'd like to see Stonehenge-" Before she could finish her sentence, she found herself standing in the center of a circle of stones, giving the indication that she was in Stonehenge.

"This cannot be real," Ryan laughed hysterically, darting among the rocks. Caster merely stood there with his hands in his pockets and smile.

"Convinced?" He asked.

"Yes!" Ryan laughed, running around the rocks. "Magnificent!"

"So do you really need to think about it?" Ryan stopped dead.

"If I travel with you, everyday will be like this?"

"Everyday."

"And no ulterior motives?"

"Well, I can't promise that," Caster winked. Ryan looked thoughtfully at the rocks.

"And I'll be safe?" Caster's stare hardened.

"Most of the time, yes," he whispered. Ryan nodded.

"Then let me think about it."

"Why certainly!" Caster chuckled. "Just not on my time."

"What?" Ryan asked. Now, they were both standing in the center of the Stonehenge.

"Well, I'm a man of "action" and don't like to sit around and wait for a 6 year-old to make up her mind. So I'll tell you what. I'll drop you off at any relative you want, and return in, let's say, 3 month's time. That way, you can make up your mind and say goodbye to the life you used to know. How does that sound?"

"Three months?" She asked. "Why three months?"

"Well, I would certainly like to get some things done without your inquisitive little mind drilling in my plans." Ryan crossed her arms and gave him a look of utter disbelief.

"So you want some alone time?"

"To put it in those terms, yes."

"Then why do you want me to even think about it?"

"Simple," Caster replied, laughing. "Ulterior motives. And I didn't say there wouldn't be none of that."

"Fair enough," Ryan sighed. "So three months, correct?"

"Not a second sooner," Caster winked.

"Alright then, you can drop me off at my uncle Ferdinand's in Georgia. He has this huge house, I remember."

"Sure, why not?" Instantly, Stonehenge melted away and they were standing in front of a huge mansion with windows letting golden light beam through.

"This is it then?" Ryan asked, looking around. Caster nodded.

"Three months then," he stuck out his hand. Ryan gave it a quick shake, and then he was gone, disappeared in a second.

"Alright, three months," Ryan muttered to herself. "This should be fun."


End file.
